Applebee's employees fired after video goes viral

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Three Applebee’s employees are out of a job, and their restaurant is temporarily closed after a St. Louis woman’s claims of racial profiling against them went viral.

Alexis Brison said she and her friend were an hour into their meal at an Independence Applebee’s, near Kansas City, when the cops showed up, claiming the two had dined and ditched at the same restaurant the night before.

She posted a video of the ordeal as it unfolded from there.

"Put yourself in my shoes, what would you do?" one officer said.

"We're at Applebee’s, and they say we were here last night and didn't pay for our food,” one of the women says on the video.

"I've never been accused of stealing food and walking out,” the other customer said.

In her Facebook post, Brison said the restaurant manager was on the lookout for a “skinny girl and a girl who wore makeup,” and she says that's a “clear example of racial profiling.”

“This is what black people have to deal with,” one of the women said in the 9-minute video as the other cries.

An Applebee’s representative says they investigated the incident and fired the manager, server and another employee involved.

"We do not tolerate racism, bigotry or harassment of any nature, and we have taken additional steps to close the restaurant at this time in order for the team there to regroup, reflect, learn and grow from this,” the spokeswoman said.